1 • INTRODUCTION

Bhutanese is the name given to the people who live in the Kingdom of
Bhutan. Bhutan is a small, landlocked country in the mountainous area
north of India. The name
Bhutan
is derived from a word that means the "borderland" of
Bhot, or Tibet. The Bhutanese themselves call their country
Druk-Yul
or the "Land of the Thunder Dragon." The ruling monarch
of the country carries the title
Druk Gyalpo
or "Dragon King."

From the beginning of the ninth century
AD
, the region was settled by Tibetans migrating south. Bhutan was born in
the early seventeenth century when a Tibetan Buddhist monk established
his authority as king, taking the title of
Dharma Raja.
As of the late 1990s, the king was Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuk.

The British held colonial power over India in the early nineteenth
century. In 1910, Bhutan's relations with other countries were
controlled by British India. In return, Britain agreed not to interfere
in Bhutan's internal affairs. In 1949 when India gained its
independence, India took control of Bhutan's relations with other
countries. Chinese forces took control of Bhutan's neighbor,
Tibet, in 1950. Bhutan saw its ties with India as a way to fight off a
threat from China. During the 1960s, Bhutan started to modernize and
allowed people from other countries to visit without a special
invitation from the king.

2 • LOCATION

There is no reliable census of the population of Bhutan. The government
estimates the total population at over 800,000 people, but they do not
include immigrants. If immigrants from Nepal and other minorities are
included, the population is estimated to be over 1.8 million. There are
three major ethnic groups in Bhutan: the Bhutia (also Bhotia, or Bhote),
Nepalese, and Assamese. Bhutia comprise roughly 50 percent of
Bhutan's population. The Nepalese account for another 35 percent,
while the Assamese make up 15 percent of the country's
inhabitants.

Bhutan, with an area of 18,217 square miles (47,182 square kilometers),
lies in the eastern Himalayan Mountain Range. Bhutan has three distinct
geographic regions. In the south is a narrow strip of lowland known as
the Duars Plain. The area receives between 200 and 300 inches (500 and
760 centimeters) of rain a year. It is covered with dense subtropical
forest and undergrowth and is hot, humid, and a generally unhealthy
atmosphere in which to live. North of the Duars is the Inner Himalaya, a
region of mountains extending southward from the main Himalayan Range.
Between these spurs lie fertile valleys at elevations between 5,000 and
9,000 feet (1,500 and 2,700 meters). With a relatively moderate climate,
these valleys support agriculture. Most of Bhutan's population
lives in these valleys. Further to the north, along the Tibetan border,
are the main ranges of the Great Himalaya. The highest peaks approach
24,000 feet (7,300 meters), with Kula Kangra soaring to 24,784 feet
(7,554 meters). Below the high peaks are alpine meadows used for grazing
yaks in the summer months.

3 • LANGUAGE

The official language of Bhutan is Dzongkha, a dialect of Tibetan. In
its written form, Dzongkha is identical to Tibetan. Other languages
spoken in Bhutan include Nepali, Assamese, and Gurung. Some Hindi is
spoken in southern areas that border India.

4 • FOLKLORE

There are many folktales in Bhutan that relate to events and
personalities of the past. One tradition tells of a prince from India
who settled in Bhutan in the eighth century
AD
. He invited the monk Padmasambhava to his kingdom. Known in Tibet as
Guru Rimpoche
("Precious Teacher"), Padmasambhava was primarily
responsible for introducing Buddhism in Bhutan. Other stories center on
the fifteenth-century lama Pemalingpa, who is seen as an incarnation of
Padmasambhava. Another heroic figure of Bhutan is Shabdrung, the lama
who assumed the title of Dharma Raja in the seventeenth century and laid
the political foundations of Bhutan State.

5 • RELIGION

Approximately three-fourths of Bhutanese are Buddhist. The dominant
religious order in the country is the Red-Hat sect (Kargyupa). Belief in
sorcerers, spirits, demons, and the need for exorcisms as undertaken in
the "devil dances" are a part of everyday Bhutanese
religious practices. Lamas (religious leaders) skilled in rituals
perform the necessary religious observances. Animal sacrifice has been
replaced in Bhutan by the offering of
torma,
ritual figures made from dough and butter. Hinduism, or a mix of
Hinduism and Buddhism, is the religion of the Nepalese peoples of
Bhutan.

6 • MAJOR HOLIDAYS

Losar, the Tibetan New Year, is one of the most important festivals in
Bhutan. It is celebrated in February with feasting and drinking. Folk
dances, including masked dances, are performed and archery competitions
held. Friends and relatives exchange greeting cards. Domchheo and Tsechu
are annual religious festivals marked by worship ceremonies and
performances of the ritual masked dances by monks. These are held at
monasteries and
dzongs,
the forts around which many Bhutanese villages are built. Various other
Buddhist and Hindu festivals are observed. The king's birthday
(September 22) and the National Day of Bhutan (December 17) are
celebrated as public holidays.

7 • RITES OF PASSAGE

Birth and marriage in Bhutan are social or family events. Funerals, on
the other hand, are elaborate religious affairs. After a death, a lama
(Buddhist religious leader) is called in to extract the
sem
(spirit) from the body and speed it on its way. The body is placed in a
sitting position before an altar, on which various ritual
objects—including
torma
(figurines made of dough and butter)—are placed. A lama leads
the service for the dead, reciting passages from various Buddhist texts.
Cremation is the usual form of disposal of the corpse, although bodies
may be buried or thrown in a river. Rituals are performed for forty-nine
days after death. During this period an effigy (symbolic model) of the
dead person is kept in the house. Both the end of the mourning period
and the one-year anniversary of the death are celebrated with a feast.

8 • RELATIONSHIPS

A Bhutanese host greets a guest by bowing slightly, extending his or her
hands towards the ground with palms facing the visitor, and moving the
hand in a gesture inviting the guest into the house. The host may also
say,
"Yala! Yala! Kuzu zangpola?"
("Hello! Hello! How do you do?"). The guest, after
responding in an appropriate manner, is then seated in the drawing room.
She or he is served tea, beer, or other refreshments. Men and women mix
and converse freely, without restrictions.

9 • LIVING CONDITIONS

Bhutan was isolated from the outside world until around 1960. As a
result, health care services in Bhutan are not very well developed.
Leading causes of death include respiratory infections, diarrhea and
dysentery, skin infections, infections from parasites, and malaria. Over
10 percent of all babies die shortly after birth.

Ninety percent of Bhutan's population live in villages scattered
throughout the country. Although there are a handful of small towns in
Bhutan, only Thimphu, the capital, exceeds 20,000 inhabitants in size.
Living standards are generally low, with per capita income (money earned
by one person) less than $200 per year. Bhutan's mountainous
terrain makes communications difficult.

10 • FAMILY LIFE

Most people in Bhutan marry within their own ethnic group. The legal age
for marriage is set by the government at sixteen years for women and
twenty-one years for men. In the past, marriages were arranged by the
parents. By the 1990s, more and more young couples were selecting their
own marriage partners. Bhutanese marriages are relatively simple. A lama
(Buddhist religious leader) officiates at the ceremony. Offerings of
chang
(beer) are made to ghosts and spirits. Betel leaves, areca nuts, and
fruits are distributed to wedding guests and observers. More food and
entertainment follow the ceremony.

The Bhutanese are essentially monogamous (have only one husband or
wife). Polyandry (more than one husband) has been abolished (made
illegal). Polygyny (more than one wife) is restricted to a maximum of
three wives per husband. A bride does not necessarily move into her
husband's household. The new husband may live with his
wife's family, if her family needs laborers to help with their
work. Alternatively, the new couple may set up their own household on
their own plot of land. Divorce is permitted, but the spouse who wants
the divorce must compensate the other with money or goods.

11 • CLOTHING

Bhutanese dress for men consists of a
ko
(long, loose robe) that reaches the ankles.
During the day, the
ko
is hoisted up and fastened at the waist by a woven belt so that it
reaches the knees. At night, it is let down to the ankles. A coat, worn
over the ko, fastens at the neck but is worn open during the day. The
sleeves are long and loose. Bhutanese men seldom wear a hat, but they
sometimes wrap a scarf around the head at night. Shoes are rarely worn,
though some men wear sandals. Wealthier men wear woolen boots. Every man
carries a long knife slung from his belt. When the ko is tied in the
"up" position, it forms a pouch that is used for carrying
objects.

Bhutanese women wear the
kira,
a woven dress that is fastened at each shoulder by silver buckles. A
woven belt is tied around the waist. Women commonly wear necklaces of
coral and turquoise, strung together with silver amulets (charms). The
hair is usually cut short.

12 • FOOD

Rice is the main food in Bhutan. Rice is accompanied by meat whenever it
is available. Though most Bhutanese are Buddhists, they are not
vegetarians. They eat beef, pork, goat, chicken, and eggs. A typical
Bhutanese meal might consist of
thugpa,
a meat soup prepared with herbs, rice (of the round, red variety), and
a meat curry or omelet. Sweet rice (white rice cooked in milk and sugar)
is served on special occasions. Tea, made with salt and butter, is a
Bhutanese staple.
Chang
(beer) is made from grain and is served to guests and offered to the
gods.

At high altitudes, barley and buckwheat (cereal grains) are grown. The
cereals are ground, then roasted or fried, and stored for future use.
Fried corn powder is popular among the Bhutanese. Milk is scarce and of
poor quality, although a hard cheese is made from yak milk.

13 • EDUCATION

No formal schools existed in Bhutan before the early 1960s, except for
those associated with religious institutions. The government has tried
to improve education, but Bhutan still lags behind its neighbor
countries in education. Only about 20 percent of children from ages five
to twelve are enrolled in school. Only 2 percent of children thirteen to
eighteen are enrolled in high school. About 20 percent of adults can
read and write.

14 • CULTURAL HERITAGE

Bhutan's culture is deeply rooted in Tibetan Buddhism. The
country began as a theocracy (its ruler was a religious leader). Even in
the 1990s, lamas (Buddhist religious leaders) influence government
affairs. The
dzongs
(forts) and monasteries remain centers of political, economic, social,
and religious life. It is in these places that festivals are celebrated
with religious music and masked dances. Lamas continue the traditions of
Buddhist learning. Religion finds architectural expression in numerous
chorten
(mounds of relics) and temples. Dzongs are often patterned after the
Potala in Lhasa, Tibet (part of China since the 1950s). The Potala is
the home of the Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama. Religious objects such
as the
mandala
(Buddhist Wheel of Life) and
thanka
(a painted religious scroll) are works of art in their own right.

15 • EMPLOYMENT

Bhutan is essentially an agrarian (farming) country. Over 90 percent of
all workers are involved in subsistence agriculture (growing enough food
for the family's use, with little left to sell) and raising
livestock. Only 3 percent of Bhutan's area is used for farming,
since much of the land is mountainous or heavily forested. Rice, wheat,
maize (corn), and millet are the main crops grown in the country. Fruit
production is important, with apples, peaches, plums, and apricots among
the varieties grown. Livestock raised in the region include cattle,
sheep, pigs, chickens, and the yak, an animal adapted to high altitudes.

16 • SPORTS

The Bhutanese are well known for their archery skills, and archery
competitions are commonly held at the time of festivals and national
holidays.

17 • RECREATION

Bhutanese have limited access to modern forms of entertainment. For
radio, FM broadcasts are aired in Thimphu, and short-wave broadcasts can
be received in the rest of the country. In 1989 the government banned
the viewing of television by ordering all TV antennas in the country to
be dismantled. The government publishes a weekly newspaper,
Kuensel,
but with the country's low literacy rate, the paper has a very
small circulation. Religious festivals and folk traditions such as
singing and dancing are the primary forms of entertainment and
recreation.

18 • CRAFTS AND HOBBIES

Bhutanese women are skilled at weaving. They make their own clothing,
bedding, tablecloths, floor coverings, and items for religious use.
Embroidery is a favorite art. Much effort goes into making costumes and
masks for the ritual dances performed at festivals. Smiths excel in
working gold, silver, brass, and other metals.

19 • SOCIAL PROBLEMS

The Bhutanese live in the least-developed country in all of South Asia.
Despite efforts at modernization, poverty, lack of potable (clean)
water, inadequate health care, illiteracy, and difficulties in
transportation remain serious problems. Tensions between the Bhutanese
and Nepalese minority have created a problem in the country. Since 1990,
antigovernment extremists among the Nepalese have been waging a
terrorist war in Bhutan.